Arsenal 3-2 Aston Villa: Aubameyang strikes late for 10-man Gunners
Ainsley Maitland-Niles was sent off for Arsenal but late goals from Calum Chambers and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang gave them all three points.
Published : Sep 22, 2019 23:13 IST
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's late free-kick handed 10-man Arsenal a 3-2 Premier League win over Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
The Gunners threw away a two-goal lead to draw with Watford last weekend and looked like they would be on the end of another disappointing result when John McGinn scored for Villa after 20 minutes.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles was sent off for the host shortly before the break, but Nicolas Pepe's first goal for the club – from the penalty spot – pulled it level after 59 minutes.
Parity lasted for only a minute as Wesley's close-range finish restored Villa's lead, but Calum Chambers and Aubameyang struck in the final 10 minutes to move Unai Emery's side up to fourth in the Premier League.
The outstanding McGinn gave Villa a shock lead, ghosting past a static backline to steer Anwar El Ghazi's cross home with a deft flick.
Arsenal suffered a blow four minutes before the interval when Maitland-Niles received a second yellow card for a rash challenge on Neil Taylor.
It was handed a lifeline in the 59th minute, though, when Bjorn Engels clumsily brought down Matteo Guendouzi, allowing Pepe to open his account for the club from the spot.
Its joy was short-lived, however, as Villa went 2-1 up within a minute. Jack Grealish did wonderfully to power into the Arsenal area and pick out Wesley, who got in front of his marker to coolly slot past Bernd Leno for his second goal for the club.
Guendouzi thumped a long-range effort against the post before Chambers pulled Arsenal level for a second time in the 81st minute with a close-range finish.
That was followed three minutes later by Aubameyang's dramatic winner, the striker superbly whipping into Tom Heaton's left-hand corner from 20 yards to relieve the pressure on Emery.
What does it mean? Emery out of the spotlight…for now
Emery's position has been under fresh scrutiny following the collapse at Vicarage Road, but he might enjoy a more relaxed week after two successive victories. They were far from flawless against Villa, but the nature of their comeback suggests the players are still very much playing for their coach.
What's next?
Both sides are in EFL Cup action in midweek, with Arsenal hosting Nottingham Forest on Tuesday and Villa travelling to Brighton and Hove Albion a day later. Emery's side then visits Manchester United in the Premier League, while Villa returns to top-flight duties with a home game against Burnley.